Preparation

Make the tomato mayonnaise:

Preheat oven to 500°F. Toss tomatoes with oil on a rimmed baking sheet to coat. Roast until skin is blackened and tomatoes are very soft, 20–25 minutes. Pass tomatoes through finest disk of a food mill or a coarse-mesh sieve into a small saucepan; season with salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring often, and cook until you have about 1/2 cup tomato purée. Let cool.

Meanwhile, toast fenugreek, cumin, and peppercorns in a dry small skillet over medium heat, tossing often, until fragrant. Let cool and finely grind in spice mill or with mortar and pestle.

Mix tomato purée, spice mixture, and mayonnaise in a bowl; season with salt.

Assemble the toasts:

Prepare a grill for medium-high heat. (Alternatively, heat a grill pan over medium-high.) Brush both sides of bread with 2 Tbsp. oil total and grill until lightly charred, about 2 minutes per side.

Toss fennel, dill, parsley, lemon juice, and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in a medium bowl; season with salt. Spread tomato mayonnaise over toast and top each with a few sardines and some fennel salad.

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Reviews

Fantastic recipe. I thought the flavor combo was really delicious, and while I didn't use Matiz sardines, I did use a nice tin of spanish sardines in olive oil. I think the bread is an important component of this dish as well. For this Sunday night supper, I just brushed the bread with olive oil, and put it under the broiler till it was crunchy and slightly dark. Next time (and when the weather is warmer!) I will grill the bread. Slathered on a lot of the tomato mayo and a nice helping of the fennel salad. Sprinkled with a bit of Maldon flaked salt on top = Yum.

The very best way to eat this, of course, is at The Whale Wins, one of several fabulous Renee Erickson restaurants in Seattle. But if you can't get there, this recipe does a good job of replicating the taste part of the experience at home (especially if you have access to the Matiz sardines). At the restaurant, it's a delicious appetizer; at home, it can serve as a light but exceptional supper.